While finally unveiling Thursday its seven-year agreement with DirecTV to air the Extra Innings out-of-market package and to launch the MLB Channel in 2009, Major League Baseball appeared to bow to public pressure by giving Dish Network and the In Demand cable consortium until the end of the month to strike a comparable deal.

But the president of In Demand, which represents Time Warner, Comcast and Cox cable systems, apparently views MLB's alleged olive branch as more akin to a briar patch, saying the stipulations were "designed to be impossible for cable and Dish to meet."

MLB and DirecTV declined to give financial details of their agreement, which is believed to total $700 million for seven years as the exclusive source for Extra Innings. DirecTV CEO Chase Carey said DirecTV's payment would be a "significantly different number" should In Demand or Dish Network opt to accept MLB's offer.

That appeared unlikely, however, based on initial comments from Robert Jacobson, president of In Demand, who described the DirecTV-MLB arrangement as a "de facto exclusive deal (that will) disenfranchise baseball fans in the 75 million multi-channel households who do not subscribe to DirecTV."

"This decision represents the height of disrespect and disregard for their loyal baseball fans," Jacobson added.

MLB's annual take from Extra Innings apparently will not exceed the estimated $100 million yearly payout from its DirecTV deal, even if In Demand or Dish Network opt in. As for the chance of that happening, MLB executive vice president Tim Brosnan attempted to put the onus squarely on the shoulders of cable operators.

"We would be perfectly satisfied to end up in an exclusive (arrangement) with DirecTV," he said. "The choice as to whether these packages end up on cable will not be ours, but rather the cable operators'."

MLB's efforts to strike an exclusive deal with DirecTV were met with public opposition, particularly in cities like Boston and New York where housing options can restrict access to satellite service. U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the agreement, which he said would harm consumers "in the interest of a short-term profit for Major League Baseball."

DirecTV, which will receive a minority share in the MLB Channel as part of its agreement, says only 5,000 of the current 230,000 cable and Dish Network subscribers to Extra Innings do not have access to DirecTV.

While Extra Innings has been the focus of the current discussions, the new MLB Channel also is a critical element. Guaranteed wide distribution from DirecTV, and the requirement of wide distribution from cable and Dish Network, would enable MLB to avoid the distribution problems that have plagued the NFL Network, which is not available on Time Warner Cable in Houston.

Given the relative parity between our cable and satellite penetration (53.7 percent to 24.8 percent, compared to the national average of 65.9 percent and 20.2 percent), I haven't heard quite as much talk about the agreement. Feel free, however, to voice your sentiments at the Four DVRs, no waiting blog at blogs.chron.com/sportsmedia.

Four DVRs, no waiting

Greg Gumbel will host CBS' NCAA Tournament selection show at 5 p.m. Sunday. ESPN previews the selections at 4 p.m., then airs its two-hour selection show at 6 p.m. hosted by Rece Davis. ESPN2 and ESPNU will air the NIT field announcements at 8 p.m. ESPN Radio has a three-hour selection show at 5 p.m. ...

AT&T, meanwhile, will Webcast the 3A and 4A finals at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively, at www.attblueroom.com. ...

FSN airs highlights from the recent Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductions at 10 p.m. Sunday. ... FSN also will pick up the Sun Sports network broadcast of the Texas A&M-Florida baseball game at noon Sunday. ...

I didn't always agree with the selections, but I enjoyed the concept of ESPN's Honor Roll series, which did lists of the top games, players and coaches in college football and basketball. The nine-episode basketball series is available on DVD from ESPN and Genius Products. Suggested retail is $45.92. ...

TNT continues to plug the hole in its NASCAR booth left by the death of Benny Parsons by acquiring the services of Fox analyst Larry McReynolds, who will work Turner's Nextel Cup races between June 10 and July 15 after wrapping up his Fox Sports duties for the season.

David Barron reports on television and radio sports for the Chronicle.